Unguja Lodge

I stayed here for 3 nights with a small group tour. It’s a secluded property and many rooms have beach views. The website says only 2 rooms have air conditioning though apparently all do now. A very pleasant surprise. The chalets are really unique with a main bedroom including sinks. Then the toilet and shower are outdoors but fully covered. There is also a nice lounge/sitting area. Very spacious. Good WiFi though only available close to the pool and restaurant. The open air restaurant is nice with good food. Breakfast had excellent coffee and made to order eggs. A perfect place to relax and get away. Close to dive shops and the Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park. The staff are very attentive to their guests needs.

Beautiful hidden away hotel with a series of private lodges. Away from the hustle and bustle but easy walk to shops and restaurants. Beautiful pool the pictures don’t do it justice. Literally on the beach - at low tide lots of beach to explore, at high tide steps straight into the water to swim and snorkel. Staff are all amazing - nothing is too much trouble. So helpful and fair when we nearly had to cancel and helped USA lot and glad we were still able to go. Absolutely unique lodges with beautiful set up with semi outdoor shower and toilet - difficult to explain but brilliant! Monkeys in the trees around the resort, mini deer running around, lots of lizards, amazing natural place. Food was excellent and lots of variety each day. Cannot wait to comeback and you will not be disappointed if you stay.

My adult son and I enjoyed a relaxing 3 night stay at Unguja Lodge. It was the perfect getaway, far from the tourist crowds at Kendwa and Stone Town. The simple rustic bungalows are comfortable and food is much better than at the large hotels – composed with fresh, high quality ingredients. Everything was creative and tasty. Audrey, the manager, was a warm and helpful hostess. Mohammed, server and barman, was efficient and friendly. Unguja Lodge is highly recommended for those who want to get away from the crowds and relax in a remote destination.

Our family of five spent two nights in Unguja Lodge in late December. We wanted to start our stay in Zanzibar in Kizimkazi and work our way up to Nungwi and end in Bwejuu. After some research we opted for the Unguja Lodge and booked a big family villa in early 2025 and paid a deposit. ||I read some bad reviews a few months later related to the state of the hotel and got second thoughts. However, an e-mail from the facility informed me that there had been a change in ownership as the previous owner had left suddenly. I was reassured that our booking was fine and that the hotel would be renovated by the time we would arrive in December. However, later I had to prove that I had paid the deposit, which was a bit annoying. But after this was sorted out, it worked well and we were offered two villas instead of one big as the big villas were not renovated yet. ||The villas have bedrooms with a/c but the area outside the bedrooms - which included a sitting room and bathroom - under the thatched roofs did not have a/c. There is also no wifi in the villas, only around the restaurant/pool area. The villas have an opening facing the ocean, with a small path down to a bench where you can enjoy views of the indian ocean. However, beach access is not possible due to the elevation and rocks below. There were stairs up to the second floor each villa but this area had not been renovated and was in a poor state. The opening towards the ocean means that insects and animals can enter into the outside part of the villas. This gives a "jungle feeling" which in itself can be charming but might not be suitable for everyone. ||Food was nice and staff friendly, especially Philemon. The pool was nice although it was in need of a paint job. Service was at times slow but friendly. Access to the ocean was by stairs and we were glad we had brought with us water shoes as there is a coral reef just below the hotel. To the south of the hotel there is a nice sandy beach. ||We enjoyed our stay and would recommend the facility. Hopefully, it will be totally refurbished in the near future. The Unguja Lodge has a fantastic potential once totally refurbished.

I'd booked to stay at the Unguja Lodge as a follow up to climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro (I didn't choose the lodge, this was done by my travel company). The idea was to have 3 days of rest and recuperation before heading back home. And I'm so glad I did as I had a lovely, relaxing time at Unguja. Definitely gave my poor, battered self (Kili was tough!) a chance to recover.|As has been indicated in other reviews, the rooms / villas are a little tired and in need of renovation and redecoration. I would have like the aircon to have worked, for example and the Wi-Fi was a bit hit or miss. Also the in-room jacuzzi was definitely a bit chilly! Hence, my only giving a mark of 4/5. But the new management team are well aware of all of the issues and plans are 'underway' to rectify.|But this doesn't detract from the other great features - the lovely grounds where you can see monkeys, lizards, elephant shrews and tiny 'pygmy' antelope. The pool area where you can just relax on a bed all day - I did! The restaurant with it's fabulous food (the chef is a genius!). |And most of all the great staff who looked after me very well for my whole time. OK, full confession - I was the only guest as far as I could tell during my brief stay but, even so, I don't think I was getting any extra special attention as a result - I'm sure that they would treat all guests in the same way.|I did take one trip out - a walking tour of Stonetown. The town itself is fascinating but the tour, in my view, didn't do it justice. I would suggest that you agree on the itinerary before setting so there are no surprises.|Overall, as indicated, I had a really nice time and I was sorry when it was time to leave. It would be lovely to come back in a year or two to see the changes that will have taken place. |With many thanks to Philemon, Audrey, Muhammad, and the team for making my stay so memorable.

Amazing experience here. Great service and the room was spacious and beautiful. The food and the cocktails were amazing ❤️❤️❤️ There is a lot activities available like paddle, kayak and snorkeling

We were excited to stay at the Lodge based on glowing reviews and photos—only to learn the photos were over a decade old and didn’t reflect current conditions.||The service was truly five-star. Martin and his team went above and beyond, and the food was excellent—especially the made-to-order breakfasts. The restaurant was lovely and well-maintained. ||But, they were out of things near the end of our stay and they didn't have some alcohol that was disappointing.||The outdoor sitting area and pool were also very nice and clean. You could see close up the pool needed a good paint job. There was a lot of rain and there was always staff available to cover everything up to keep everything dry. They were doing the best that they can despite the conditions of the resort.||Unfortunately, the huts were a different story. They were in poor condition and undergoing renovations that should have warranted a full closure. Black dust (allegedly from nearby trees) dropped onto our beds, the showers were rusted and felt like something out of a gas station, and while the toilets were clean, the bathrooms felt dirty overall. Upholstery was worn, pillows had holes, and the outdoor area was either overgrown or dead.||The beach—something I was most looking forward to post-safari—was completely eroded and unusable. A former sandy area on a hill as part of the property was torn down and under construction.||This was meant to be the relaxing end to an otherwise incredible trip, and it was a major disappointment. Hopefully renovations bring it back to its former glory, but until then—stay away.|The rather than zero was because of Martin and his staff (I don't think he and some of the staff are there anymore) and the food. |

Unguja Lodge is a great hotel in a very tranquil and picturesque position on the coast. The sunsets were exceptional. It has rustic charm and the service was excellent. The rooms are very spacious and well appointed. The hotel is undertaking some quiet refurbishment behind the scenes. The food was delicious. It’s a little off the beaten track, but well worth a detour.